Margueritte Mills Volunteer of the Month: Edie McGee

Edie McGee received her Volunteer of the Month award from Voice staff reporter Maya Pottiger.

Photo by Zach Sparks

Posted
Thursday, May 2, 2019 9:04 am

Edie McGee Keeps SPHS Drama In Stitches

By Maya Pottiger

Edie McGee can’t resist a good challenge.

“I see something that needs to be done, and I’m like, ‘I’ll do that,’” McGee said.

This is how she ended up on the costume committee for Severna Park High School’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival, working the dressing rooms during the show and serving as treasurer for the school’s Drama Boosters.

McGee’s daughter, now in her junior year, has been part of the popular show for the last three years. With a background in sewing and working on costumes, McGee knew this committee was the perfect fit for her.

At the first meeting, costume chairman Michelle Hickman went over the show’s philosophy, which really resonated with McGee.

“She said, ‘All of these kids are talented singers and dancers. They come in all shapes and sizes, and they all deserve to be beautiful,’” McGee said. “It was like, ‘Yes, this is my tribe.’”

Over the last three years, McGee’s skills as a seamstress have really been tested during RNR. She has done numerous repairs, alterations and embellishments to the costumes. But the most common addition? Velcro.

“We do a lot of replacing snaps or buttons with strips of Velcro, which makes it easier for the kids to get dressed and undressed,” McGee said.

During the shows, McGee is backstage in the dressing room doing last-minute repairs and making sure that everyone gets onstage in time.

The agreed-upon rule amongst the costumes committee is “nothing has to be as perfect as you might want it to be for your closet. What it has to be is it has to look good from 20 feet away,” McGee said.

An attorney for the federal government, McGee has had various experiences being a treasurer, be it for a union or a political campaign, so she volunteered to take on the role for the Drama Boosters.

“It is a much bigger budget operation than I ever thought,” McGee said. “It’s a lot to keep track of. I made some small innovations in the bookkeeping to make things where I felt we could achieve some efficiencies.”

McGee enjoys mingling with the kids in the show.

“They come from different parents of the school,” McGee said. “The show cuts a swath across the student body. It’s just delightful to get to know so many types of really good kids.”

Above all, McGee said it’s important to be able to provide these types of opportunities to kids, and there has to be a huge community buy-in for it to be successful.

“I can afford the extra time. I can work this into my life, and I can give back in this way,” McGee said. “There are so many adults that have given so much that my daughter has benefited from that it’s my turn.”